FANNED VENT COVER INSERT
A fanned vent cover insert, and an air handing system having such a fanned vent cover insert, for increasing air flow from an air vent. The fanned vent cover insert includes a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor. A fan is attached to the rotor. A blower switch selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to selectively cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor is not turning the fan.
The presently disclosed subject matter is directed towards a fanned vent cover insert for assisting air flow from an air duct into a room.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONForced air heating and cooling has been successfully used for many years in many different applications. Such systems incorporate fanned blower motors that blow hot air from a furnace or cold air from an air conditioner through an air duct and out an air vent into a room. By adding numerous air duct branches to the system multiple areas can be heated and cooled from a central furnace/air conditioner.
Forced air heating and cooling works particularly well when the air ducting system does not include too many duct branches and when all air vents are close to the blower motor. But, if the blower output splits into multiple ducts or if an air vent is a long way from a blower motor significant pressure drops can occur which can seriously reduce the air output.
A prior art approach to obtaining sufficient air flow from an air vent is to increase the air flow output of the blower motor. However, that can involve significant additional costs for a larger blower motor as well as any additional electrical power that would be required to drive the blower motor. Larger blower motors also tend to be noisier than smaller blower motors. Furthermore, simply increasing the blower motor output may cause air flow imbalances given that air vents close to the motor will still output most of the moving air.
Problems of multiple air ducts branches and air vents located a long way from a blower motor also occur in many existing systems. Retrofitting such systems can be extremely difficult and costly, particularly if additional electrical power requirements are required. Therefore, a technique for increasing air flow from an air vent without requiring a larger blower motor would be beneficial. Even more beneficial would be a technique of increasing air flow from an existing air vent without increasing the size of the existing blower motor and without requiring modifications to existing electrical power distributions.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe principles of the present invention provide for a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow from an air vent. The principles of the present invention further provide for a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow from an air vent without increasing the size of a blower motor and without requiring modifications to existing electrical power distribution.
Those principles of the present invention are incorporated in a fanned vent cover insert having a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor attached to a fan. The fanned vent cover insert further includes a blower switch that selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to drive the motor-generator to cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is also connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor-generator is not turning the fan.
The principles of the present invention further provide for an air handling system having a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow. The air handling system includes an air processing unit, such as a furnace or an air conditioner, which processes air and blows the processed air out. An air duct receives the processed and passes it to its air exhaust. The fanned vent cover insert receives air from the air exhaust and increases its flow. The fanned vent cover insert includes a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor attached to a fan. The fanned vent cover insert further includes a blower switch that selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to drive the motor-generator to cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is also connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor-generator is not turning the fan.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
The presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is shown. However, it should be understood that this invention may take many different forms and thus should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein. In the figures like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The present invention is described herein with reference to
Turning now to the partial side view of
Still referring to
The motor-generators 110 and 115 are of the type of DC electromagnetic devices that can operate both as a motor when electrical power is applied and as a generator when their rotor is turned by an external force. Such motor-generators are usually brushed permanent magnetic devices and are well known. However, it should be understood that separate DC motors coupled to separate DC generators can also be used.
As shown in
In operation, when the air flow 87 (see
However, when the air flow 87 (see
It should be understood that while the fanned vent cover insert 50 illustrated in
Therefore, it is to be understood that while the figures and the above description illustrate the present invention, they are exemplary only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Others who are skilled in the applicable arts will recognize numerous modifications and adaptations of the illustrated embodiments that remain within the principles of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow from an air vent, comprising:
- a battery;
- a direct current motor-generator having a rotor,
- a fan attached to the said rotor,
- an air flow switch for selectively connecting said battery to said motor-generator so as to drive said motor-generator to cause said fan to move air, and
- a battery charger connected to said motor-generator and to said battery, said battery charger for charging said battery when air movement causes said fan to rotate said motor-generator.
2. The fanned vent cover insert according to claim 1, further comprising an air vent for receiving air passing through said fanned vent cover insert.
3. The fanned vent cover insert according to claim 1 wherein said battery is rechargeable.
4. The fanned vent cover insert according to claim 1 wherein said direct current motor-generator is a permanent magnet brushed motor-generator.
5. The fanned vent cover insert according to claim 1, further comprising a seal for reducing air leaks as said air passes into said fanned vent cover insert.
6. An air handling system, comprising:
- an air processing unit for processing air and for blowing said processed air out of said air processing unit;
- an air duct receiving said processed air from said air processing unit, said air duct including an air exhaust for enabling air flow out of said air duct; and
- a fanned vent cover insert for receiving air flow air from said air exhaust and for increasing said air flow, said fanned vent cover insert including: a battery; a direct current motor-generator having a rotor, a fan attached to the said rotor, an air flow switch for selectively connecting said battery to said motor-generator so as to drive said motor-generator to cause said fan to increase said air flow, and a battery charger connected to said motor-generator and to said battery, said battery charger for charging said battery when said air flow causes said fan to rotate said motor-generator.
7. The air handling system according to claim 6, further including an air vent for receiving air from said fanned vent cover insert.
8. The air handling system according to claim 6, wherein said air processing unit is a furnace.
9. The air handling system according to claim 6 wherein said air processing unit is an air conditioner.
10. The air handling system according to claim 6, further comprising an air vent for receiving air passing through said fanned vent cover insert.
11. The air handling system according to claim 6 wherein said battery is rechargeable.
12. The air handling system according to claim 6 wherein said direct current motor-generator is a permanent magnet brushed motor-generator.
13. The air handling system according to claim 6, further comprising a seal for reducing air leaks as said air passes into said fanned vent cover insert.
14. The air handling system according to claim 6, further comprising an air vent for receiving air from the fanned vent cover insert.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 9, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 9, 2012
Inventor: STEVEN RUDD (WEST JORDAN, UT)
Application Number: 13/024,235